Clinic-Based Teaching Opportunities in the Required Curriculum:

Generalist Partners Program (GPP): Students are partnered with family, general internal medicine or general pediatric physicians in community clinics for a half day each month during their first two years of medical school. GPP is the clinical companion to the four-semester Patient, Doctor and Society course, which teaches communication skills, physical exam, evidence-based medicine, professionalism, and health care in our society.

• Teaching Goals: Community clinical faculty are asked to introduce students to primary care medicine, while gradually increasing the student's role in practicing new skills. By the end of the second year of medical school, students will be able to perform a complete interview and physical exam. Students will also be familiar with common problems, prevention issues, clinical epidemiology, and physician decision-making.
• Time Commitment:
  • 1 student = 1 half-day/month for a total of 8 half-days/ August or September through April
  • 2 students = 2 half-days/month for a total of 16 half-days/ August or September through April (if you choose 2 students, they will come on alternate weeks)
  • You will work with your student in both their first and second years of medical school.
  • Choice of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday afternoon

Primary Care: Family Medicine, General Medicine, Pediatrics Clerkship (PC:FM,GM,PC): In this eight-week, required third-year clerkship, all students spend 4 days/week in the clinic seeing patients: 2 days/week are spent with a family physician, and the other 2 days/week with an internist or pediatrician, and 1 day/week in small group activities. View Course Site

• Teaching Goals: Community clinical faculty teach advanced interviewing, communication, physical examination skills, diagnosis and management of primary care problems. In addition, they model coordination of care through use of community, hospital and consultant services. Students are expected to take an active role in interviewing, exam, diagnosis and decisionmaking.
• Time Commitment:
  • Eight-week blocks for four half days/week
  • Choice of days: Monday/Tuesday or Wednesday/Thursday
  • You can choose to have students during one or more, eight-week block rotations per year. The rotation schedule is as follows: Rotation 1: July-August; Rotation 2: September-October; Rotation 3: November-December; Rotation 4: January-February; Rotation 5: March-April; and Rotation 6: May-June

Other Opportunities:

MEDIC Clinics Volunteer: The MEDIC organization was established in 1990 by first- and second-year students at the University of Wisconsin. The program has two objectives: 1) To provide primary health care services, referral services, and education to undeserved individuals and families in the Madison area at one of five clinics, and 2) To give medical and other health care professional students the opportunity to participate in patient care and learn about the socioeconomic conditions which influence patient's health. View Site

Primary Care Faculty Development Fellowship Program: This program offers preceptors an excellent opportunity to enhance teaching skills in the areas of technology, doctor-patient communication, evidence-based medicine, quality improvement, managed care leadership, and teaching methods. Sponsored by the Department of Family Medicine, this fellowship program is offered at no cost to participants. View Site